IPU lecturers share thoughts on lives lived in non-birth countries

IPU academic learning advisor Gareth Williams' oil on canvas painting, Pathways, is one of his contributions to chapbook Offshore.

He was there
he understood not
he was not there
he understood well.

So starts Mark Hall's poem 'Homecoming' (stoned).

Hall is one of 10 IPU lecturers who have collaborated to produce chapbook 'Offshore'. A chapbook is a small publication and 'Offshore' came about as a result of New Zealand's borders being closed.

The contributions are based around the lecturers' experiences and reflections upon those parts of their lives that have been or are being spent abroad in lands of different mood, rhythm and tincture, Stephen O'Connor says.

The lecturers contributed personal essays, short fiction, poetry, photos and artwork:

"Anything they had a creative urge to do."

O'Connor has written about his time living and teaching in Japan while Hall shares his experiences of South Korea.

Hall says the chapbook gave people a chance to reflect on everyone being stuck in the same place and to think about living in a country that's not their country of origin.

He says lecturers are usually involved in helping their students express themselves academically; 'Offshore' gave them a chance to look at their own lives and put pen to paper.

The introduction talks about striking out to destinations quarantined only in the mind.

"They are writerly feet."

Glen Hepburn's story is titled 'Dutch on ice' while Eisaku Tsumura shares - in Japanese - the spiritual journey he has been on since living in New Zealand.

Farzana Gounder writes of armed military personnel surrounding her house in the aftermath of the 1987 Fiji coup. She was just 8 as she watched her father being taken away for questioning at the army barracks.

'Offshore' is a boutique publication limited to just 100 numbered copies. It was launched earlier this month with contributors doing readings from a dingy (on dry land) in keeping with the water theme.

'Offshore' is available at City Library.

Win a copy

We have one copy to give away. To enter please email your first and last names, address and phone number to judith.lacy@nzme.co.nz. One email per person please and put 'Offshore' in the subject line. Entries close at 8pm on Sunday, April 18.